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Kashmiri Students, Medicos March for Freedom Kashmir

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Aug 21: Hundreds of students and medical representatives staged rallies in the summer capital Srinagar to demand freedom from 'Indian occupation'.

The students of various schools and colleges boycotted their class work and came out on roads in Srinagar in large numbers and staged anti-India demonstrations. They were joined in by their teachers. Raising slogans like, "We Want Freedom", "Jeeve Jeeve Pakistan" (Long live Pakistan), "Bharat Teri Mout Aayi, Lashkar Aai Lashkar Aai" (India your doom has come, Lashkar has come Lashkar has come" and "Indian troops leave Kashmir", the protesting students demanded freedom from Indian rule.

They condemned the killing of unarmed protestors in Kashmir. "The Indian troops are firing indiscriminately on unarmed protestors in Kashmir," said the protesting, who marched through roads in the summer capital.

Police fired teargas shells and resorted to cane charge to disperse the students who tried to march towards United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Srinagar and present memorandum to the UN observers.

Meanwhile, at least 5,000 medical representatives of Kashmir staged a massive protest rally in Srinagar to condemn the firing on peaceful protestors and demand freedom from "Indian occupation".

The protestors wrote "INDIA" on the roads and trampled it amidst slogans "Ragda Ragda Bharat ko Ragda" (Crush India Crush India). Some of the onlookers also joined the demonstrations and raised pro-Pakistan, pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.

The protesting Medical representatives said that the protest rallies will continue till "India grants freedom to Kashmir".

"We were promised right to self determination by the first Indian Prime Minister and resolutions in this regard are pending in the United Nations. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon should play an active role in getting the Kashmir dispute resolved as per wishes and aspirations of people of Kashmir," said one of the protestor, Aijaz Ahmad.

He added, "Kashmir has witnessed a mass uprising and India cannot crush it now. The Indian government will be compelled to grant right to self determination in Kashmir".

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.